New York, January 27: Smoke exposure during pregnancy damages the baby’s blood pressure control system, increasing his/her risk of cot death, a new study finds.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death with an unknown reason among infants aged between 1 and 12 months. Low birth weight and prematurity are considered important risk factors for the condition.
According to the study published in Hypertension, maternal smoking increases the risk of SIDS in the newborn by two thirds.
Smoke-exposed babies are reported to have abnormal heart rate and blood pressure responses, even when sleeping undisturbed in their cots.
“Babies of smokers have evidence of persistent problems in blood pressure regulation that start at birth and get worse over time,” said lead researcher Gary Cohen, adding that such long-lasting reprogramming of the cardiovascular system is responsible for sudden infant death.
Scientists, therefore, urged mothers to quit smoking before becoming pregnant, stressing that fathers should also not smoke in the same room as the baby.
—Agencies